Saliva ejector control system



United States Patent 3,091,858 SALWA EJECTOR CONTRQL SYSTEM Arthur D. Misieka, 332 Lenox Road, 7 Huntington Station, N.Y. Filed June 2, 1961, Ser. No. 114,365 3 Claims. (1142-33) This invention relates to a saliva ejector control system of particular utility in controlling water flow through dental equipment.

Saliva ejectors utilized in dental equipment ordinarily operate continuously in response to water flow through the equipment which creates a low pressure in the ejector, causing it to draw saliva from a patients mouth. Water flows continuously through the dental equipment and in regions where Water drainage is poor or water supply is limited, this continuous water flow is particularly undesirable.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a new and improved saliva ejector control system for minimizing water flow through dental equipment.

It is another object of the invention to provide a new and improved saliva ejector control system which interrupts the flow of water through dental equipment when the saliva ejector is not being used.

In accordance with the invention, a saliva ejector control system comprises a water supply system and an electrically conductive tube connected to said water supply system for draining saliva from a persons mouth in response to water flow through the supply system. The control system also includes a capacity-sensitive control system for controlling water flow through the supply system and including a conductor electrically coupled to the tube to cause the control system to allow water flow through the supply system when the tube is in the persons mouth and to interrupt water flow through the supply system when the tube is removed from the person's month.

For a better understanding of the present invention, together with other and further objects thereof, reference is made to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a diagram, partly schematic, of a saliva ejector control system constructed in accordance with the invention.

Referring now more particularly to FIG. 1 of the drawing, a water source 10 is connected to a water supply or piping system 11 having a solenoid-operated valve 12 therein and having an outlet 13 connected for drainage. A solenoid 14 operates the valve 12 in a manner to be described.

The system includes an electrically conductive tube 15 mounted in an insulating rubber base 16 and connected by a suitable hose 17 to the water supply system for draining saliva from a persons mouth in response to water flow through the supply system. A wire conductor 18 is mounted within the insulator 16 and is in electrical contact with the tube 15, which may be slidably removed from the insulator 16 for sterilization. The wire is electrically connected to a conductive base member 19 into which a suitable nut 20 is threaded for connecting the hose 17 to the tube 15. A Wife conductor 21 is electrically connected to the nut 20 and serves as a capacity-sensitive antenna for a control system 22 to allow water flow through the water-supply system when the tube 15 is in the persons mouth and to interrupt water flow when the tube is removed from the persons mouth. The control system 22 may be of conventional construction, for example, of the type described in Patent 2,312,306 for energizing the solenoid 14.

3,091,858 Patented June 4, 1963 When the tube 15 is placed in a persons mouth, the capacity increase causes the control system 22 to energize the solenoid 14 to open the solenoid valve to allow water flow through the water supply system. This water flow creates a low pressure in the hose 17, causing the saliva ejector tube 15 to withdraw saliva from the persons mouth. When the tube 15 is removed from the persons mouth, the capacity decrease causes the control system 22 to deenergize the solenoid 14, closing the valve 12 and interrupting water flow through the water-supply system.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that a saliva ejector control system constructed in accordance with the invention has the advantage that the saliva ejector is operative only when being used in a persons mouth and is effective to control Water flow through dental equipment in accordance with the use of the ejector, thereby relieving water supply and drainage problems.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A saliva ejector control system comprising a watersupply system having a primary water inlet, a water outlet, and an inlet intermediate said primary inlet and said outlet; an electrically conductive tube connected to said intermediate inlet of said water supply system for draining saliva from a persons mouth in response to Water fiow through said water supply system; a capacitysensitive control system for controlling water flow through said water-supply system and including conductive means electrically coupled to said tube to cause the control system to allow water flow through said watersupply system when said tube is in the persons mouth and to interrupt water flow through said water-supply system when said tube is removed from the persons mouth.

2. A saliva ejector control system comprising a watersupply system having a primary water inlet, a Water outlet, and an inlet intermediate said primary inlet and said outlet; an electrically conductive tube mounted in an insulator and connected to said intermediate inlet of said water supply system for draining saliva from a persons mouth in response to water flow through said watersupply system; and a capacity-sensitive control system for controlling water flow through said water-supply system and including a conductor in electrical contact with said tube to cause the control system to allow water flow through said water-supply system when said tube is in the persons mouth and to interrupt water flow through said water-supply system when said tube is removed from the persons mouth.

3. A saliva ejector control system comprising a Watersupply system having a primary water inlet, a water outlet, and an inlet intermediate said primary inlet and said outlet; an electrically conductive tube connected to said intermediate inlet of said Water supply system for draining saliva from a persons mouth in response to water flow through said water-supply system; and a capacitysensitive control system including a solenoid and a solenoid-operated valve and including conductive means electrically coupled to said tube to cause the control system to operate said solenoid and valve to allow water flow through said water-supply system when said tube is in the persons mouth and to interrupt Water flow through said water-supply system when said tube is removed from the persons mouth.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 979,290 Hamilton Dec. 20, 1910 2,255,657 Freedman Sept. 9, 1941 2,312,306 Bierwirth Mar. 2, 1943 

1. A SALIVA EJECTOR CONTROL SYSTEM COMPRISING A WATERSUPPLY SYSTEM HAVING A PRIMARY WATER INLET, A WATER OUTLET, AND AN INLET INTERMEDIATE SAID PRIMARY INLET AND SAID OUTLET; AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE TUBE CONNECTED TO SAID INTERMEDIATE INLET OF SAID WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM FOR DRAINING SALIVA FROM A PERSON''S MOUTH IN RESPONSE TO WATER FLOW THROUGH SAID WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM; A CAPACITYSENSITIVE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING WATER FLOW THROUGH SAID WATER-SUPPLY SYSTEM AND INCLUDING CONDUCTIVE MEANS ELECTRICALLY COUPLED TO SAID TUBE TO CAUSE THE CONTROL SYSTEM TO ALLOW WATER FLOW THROUGH SAID WATERSUPPLY SYSTEM WHEN SAID TUBE IS IN THE PERSON''S MOUTH AND TO INTERRUPT WATER FLOW THROUGH SAID WATER-SUPPLY SYSTEM WHEN SAID TUBE IS REMOVED FROM THE PERSON''S MOUTH. 